Within the framework of his official visit to Georgia, before holding the scheduled bilateral meetings, President Serzh Sargsyan joined the representatives of the Armenian community in Tbilisi to visit the Church of St. George of the prelacy of the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church this morning, after which he went to Heroes Square and laid a wreath at the memorial and paid tribute.

Then the President of Armenia met with Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilya II. On behalf of the whole Armenian nation and on his own behalf, Serzh Sargsyan congratulated Ilya II on the 40th anniversary of the enthronement of the Catholicos Patriarch. In this context, President Sargsyan noted that over these four decades the Patriarch had gone a long way toward consolidating the Georgian Orthodox Church.

The President expressed gratitude to the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia for his prayers for the sake of preserving and deepening the friendship of the Armenian and Georgian peoples. President Sargsyan and Ilia II stressed the importance of relations between the State and the Church. The President of Armenia highly appreciated the role of the Armenian Church in the life of the Armenian people, especially as the Church replaced the State in the most difficult situations when statehood was absent by keeping up the people’s faith and national identity.

Stressing that Armenia and Georgia boast deeply rooted ties of friendship, Serzh Sargsyan noted that the traditions of friendship are underpinned by shared Christian and cultural values and a solid historical background.

President Serzh Sargsyan and Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II stressed the important role of the Armenian Apostolic and Georgian Orthodox Churches in developing good-neighborly Armenian-Georgian relations.

During the meeting, the Head of the Armenian State briefed the Catholicos-Patriarch on the results of yesterday’s meeting with President Margvelashvili, noting with satisfaction that key agreements had been reached. The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II asked President Sargsyan to convey his warm greetings and good wishes to the Catholicos of All Armenians.